


Stolen

by Blaizekit



Series: Blaize's Tumblr Archive [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Coma, Gen, Light Angst, Pre-Shippuden, Tumblr Prompt, tumblr drabble, windmillverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaizekit/pseuds/Blaizekit
Summary: The Nine-Tails has been stolen. Kakashi keeps a vigil over his student.Tumblr prompt for @hexalene. Takes place during TWTBW.
Series: Blaize's Tumblr Archive [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728511
Kudos: 13





	Stolen

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Windmill Turns Both Ways](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024416) by [Blaizekit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaizekit/pseuds/Blaizekit). 



**[Prompt: From your windmills fic, Kakashi or tsunade or both worrying/discussing over the Kyuubi being apparently stolen/dealing with the other kids trying to figure out what happened]**

[ **Original post** ](https://blaizekit.tumblr.com/post/190690419619)

Kakashi hated hospital rooms. 

Always had. But ever since Akatsuki first came to town, it seemed like his life revolved around them. First Itachi had put _him_ there. Then Sasuke. Now Itachi–or someone like him–had sent Naruto here, too. 

In just a few short weeks, they had gone from a full-fledged team to nothing. A month since Sasuke disappeared and Naruto was admitted to the hospital with a bad case of _life-essence-ripped-out_. Sakura never asked to train anymore, and he’d stopped offering. No new mission requests ever seemed to come their way, and they never went looking for any, either.

So Kakashi was left without a lot to distract him from the mistake reel that looped over and over in his head.

Kakashi lowered the book he wasn’t really reading and peered out at the soft light gradually making its way across the sky. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stifled a yawn. Morning meant that Tsunade would be coming around soon. Maybe then, he’d be able to go home and get some sleep.

It wasn’t that he expected her to take a look at the readings and charts and tell him some good news. This wasn’t that kind of situation. But he wanted to know if it got worse. How much time they still had left. How close Jiraiya was to finding out where the Kyuubi was. To know if they had a target yet, something they could actually fight.

Kakashi checked the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was about time, he stood from his chair and stretched, feeling his knotted-up muscles pull from being locked in place for too long. 

Right on time, he heard the clap of Tsunade’s heels on the linoleum coming down the hall outside, the way she walked when she had somewhere to be and didn’t mind letting everyone else know it.

She opened the door and immediately frowned at him. “How long have you been waiting here, Kakashi?”

“Not sure,” he said nonchalantly.

Tsunade gave him a Look and walked into the room, sliding the door shut behind her. “I’ll talk to the office about getting you a mission. Maybe something that involves travel.”

But she dropped the topic quickly, moving on to the machines and monitors beside Naruto’s bed. Kakashi walked to the other side soundlessly, waiting. He glanced down at his student, the first time in hours he’d dared to look.

Of course, nothing about Naruto had changed overnight. The differences were noticeable, but they’d come about gradually. He’d grown smaller and thinner. Even his face wasn’t as round beneath the breathing mask. Kakashi thought about reaching out, but didn’t. He knew Naruto would feel cold no matter how many blankets they put on him. It wouldn’t be reassuring.

Tsunade went about her checks deftly, with the ease of someone who knew the work better than anyone. But at some point, her movements slowed, and Kakashi noticed.

“What is it?”

Tsunade was holding a clipboard, flipping pages over and then back down again. She put it in a file box on the wall and crossed her arms. She tapped her fingers against her forearm.

“What?” Kakashi asked again. He tried to ignore the way his heart lobbed in his chest.

“I don’t think it’s safe to keep letting visitors in. We’ve been lucky so far, but a cold or infection could potentially kill him. I know that those kids have experienced a shock after losing two classmates. But we need to restrict who can come in here. I’ll grant you permission, but _you_ have to take care of your own health if you want that to continue.”

“…I understand.”

“Good. Now go home, take a shower, and go to sleep.”

Kakashi hesitated. “They’ll understand why they can’t come in, but isn’t it about time we thought of something to tell them? How long can we keep saying we don’t know what’s wrong?”

Tsunade sighed and let her arms drop down by her sides. “The clan heads are worried. Everyone is. A lot of the people who don’t actually know Naruto have already given up on him. They are talking about who to give the Kyuubi to next, once we find out where it is.”

“No,” Kakashi said, with greater force than he intended.

“No,” Tsunade agreed. “I’ll do everything in my power to see that it comes home. But for that to happen, he has to live. Make up something to tell the kids if you want to. Right now, they’re only scared for their friend. I don’t mind keeping it that way for a while.”

Kakashi inclined his head wearily in a nod. He got the feeling the days would be getting longer from here on out.


End file.
